Time-controlled highway-crossing alarm.



S. -C. BRYANT. I TIME CONTROLLED HIGHWAY CROSSING ALARM.

. I APPLICATION FILED IJULY I3, I916- 1-,29 ,3 0, Patented Mar. 4,1919.

I I I .5. 9 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY CHARLES BRYANT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BRYANT ZINC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TIME-CONTROLLED HIGHWAY-CROSSING- ALARM.

Patented Mar. 4., 1919.

Application filed July 13, 1916. Serial No. 109,037.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, STANLEY CHARLES BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the cit of Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Time-Controlled Highway-Crossing Alarm, of which the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to signaling devices or alarms used for protecting highway crossings, and more particularly to such highway crossing alarms which are operated for a certain period of time.

One of the objects of this invention is to devise a novel, simple and reliable highway crossing alarm which will sound or other- Wise perform its signaling function fora certain length of time after its operation is initiated. s

A further object of the invention is to devise a novel, simple and reliable time controlled circuit controller for. use in connection with highway crossing alarms which will perform its circuit controlling function after the lapse of a predetermined time following its initial operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter as the description of theinvention progresses, and the novel features of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated the preferred physical embodi in which like refment of the invention, and

like parts in the erence' characters refer to several news,

Figure 1 1s a slde new of a time controlled I circuit controller constituting part of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view of the right-hand end of the circuit controller shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken horizontally through the circuit controller substantially on the line 33 in Fig. 1' and looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View, in the nature of a wiring diagram, which shows the electrical connections between the parts embodying this invention.

Referringto the accompanying drawing, one

1 form of a time controlled circuit controller forming part of the highway? crossing alarm embodying the invention is shown mounted in a casing comprising a base plate 1, a cover or top late 2 and corner posts 3, the sides and en of the casing between the corner,

posts being preferably filled with glass so as to protect the mechanism from dirt and dampness and also to permit ready inspection of the parts.

Secured to the base plate 1 is a small electrio motor M of suitable construction capable v of maintaining a constant speed; and the. armature shaft 4 of said motor M is connected to a shaft 5 which is journaled in the upright members 6 of an inverted U-shaped bracket B fixed to the base plate 1, and to which is fixed a worm 7. Integral with the side members 6 of the bracket B is a horizontally extending arm 8 having an offset end portion 9; and journaled at its upper end in said arm 8 and at its lower end in a boss 10 integral with the base plate 1 is a vertical shaft 11, to which is fixed a worm wheel 12 meshing with the worm 7 on the shaft 5. A shaft 13 having screw threads 14 cut in its periphery for the greater part of its length is journaled at its upper end in the offset end portion 9 and at its lower end in a boss 15 integral with the base plate 1; and fixed to the shaft 13 at its lower end is a large gear 16 which meshes with a pinion 17 fixed to the shaft 11. Arranged to cooperate at times with the threads 14 on the shaft 13 is a hook-shaped member 18 (see Fig. 3) which is fastened by a plate 19 and a screw 20 to one end of an arm 21. The other end of the arm 21 is pivotally connected to the upper end of an armature 22 of an electromagnet E, the lower end of said armature 22 being pivotally mounted on a pin 23 supported by lugs 24 integral with the base plate 1. y

The armature 22 has an extension25 which is arranged to engage the base plate 1 and limit the movement of the armature away from the electromagnet E;'and the armature 22 is urged to this retracted position (shown in Fig. 1) by a tension spring 26, one end of which is connected to said armature and the other end of which is connected to a rod 27 adjustably mounted in an up right member 28 secured to or integral with the base plate 1. The end portion of the pole piece of the clectromagnet E opposite to the end adjacent to the armature 22 is threaded and is fastened by a nut 29 in a hole in a lug 30 integral with the base plate 1, so that said base plate forms part of the magnetic c1 cult for said electromagnet.

i the mechanism and are clear a stop pin 31 which is arranged to limit the downward movement of the arm 21, so that vwhen the electromagnet E is denergized and its armature 22 retracted by the spring 26, the arm 21 falls by its own weight to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the hookshaped member 18 is near the lower end of the shaft 13.

Arranged above the arm 21 is a circuit controllin arm 32, one end of which is fastened to blocks 33 of insulating material, which blocks are in turn fastened to a supporting member 34 which has integral lugs at its edges pivotally connected by pins'to lugs 35 projecting downward from the top plate 2, and the said supporting member 34 has a tail portion 36 extending downward and toward the arm 21 at an angle into position to be engaged by a roller 37 j ournaled in the upperend of a support 38 adjustably'secured to said arm 21. The other end of the circuit controllin arm 32 is provided with a contact piece a apted to make'goodelec- -trical contact with a contact arm 39 supported by a binding post 40 secured in the top plate 2 but insulated therefrom in any suitable or well known manner. A Weight 41 is fastened to the circuit controlling arm 32 and normally holds said arm in its lower position as shown in Fig. 1, in which electrical connection is established between said arm and the contact arm 39; and the arm 32 is connected by a flexible conductor 42 to a bindin 2 and insulated therefrom. A third binding post 44 is also secured inthe top plate 2 so as to be insulated therefrom; and a wire 45 connects this binding of the winding of the electromagnet E, a. w re 46 also connecting this binding post with one terminal of the'motor M. The other end of the winding of the electromag net E 1s connected by a wire 47 to the bindmg post'4 3; and the other terminalof the motor M is connected by a wire 48 t0 the bindlng post 40. The above mentioned wires are shown in part in Figs. 1 and 2 as clearly as 'POSSlblG without obscurin the parts of y shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 4, the time controlled circuit controller above described is illus- I tain electrical contacts by the movement of trated as used in connection with the control of a crossing bell or similar alarm A. As is well understood by those skilled inthe railway signaling art, crossing bells are usu ally set into operation by the closing of cera train past a pointat a distance from the crossing, by means of a track instrument,

track relay, interlocking relay, or the like; and such electrical contacts which are closed by the approach of a train are illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4 by the contact bar 49 and lts cotiperating contact point 50 post 43 also secured in the top plate post with one end.

messes monly termed a stick relay, and this stick relay is illustrated in Fig. 4 accordin to established convention and is designate 51, and its contact fingers or armaturesare designated 52 and 53. A suitable source of electric current, as a. battery 54, is used for supplying the current to operate the relay 51, theelectromagnet E, the motor M and the bell A. I

The various wires and electrical connections between the parts shown in Fig. 4 will not be set forth in detail since these electrical connections and the various circuits established will be set forth in detail in the following description of the operation.

Operation: Referring particularly to Fig. 4, when a train approaches the crossing protected by the bell A, it causes the closing of the contact arm 49 with its contact point 50, whereupon a circuit for energizing the stick relay 51 is established as follows: commencing at one terminal of the battery 54, Wires 55 and 56, relay 51, wires 57 and 58, contact point 50, contact arm 49, wires 59 and 60, binding post 43, flexible wire 42, circuit 0011- I trolling arm 32, contact arm 39, binding post other follows: commencing at one terminal of the battery 54, wires 55 and 56, relay 51, wires 57 and 63, armature 52 in its upper position, wires 64 and 60, binding post 43, flexible conductor .42, circuit controlling arm 32, contact arm 39, binding post 40, and 1 wires 61 and 62 back to the other terminal Of the battery 54.

As soon as the armature or contact finger 53 of the stick relay 51 is raised to its upper position, a circuit for ringing the bell A is 1 established as follows: commencing at one terminal of the battery 54, wires 55' and 65, armature 53 in its upper position, wires 66 and 67, bell A, and 'wlres 68 and 62 back to the other terminal of the battery 54. 1.

Also, when the armature 53 of the stick relay 51 is raised to its upper position, the electromagnet E is energized and the motor M simultaneously supplied with current, the

circuit for energizing the ,electromagnet E 15 being as follows: commencingat one terminal of the battery 54, wires 55 and 65, armature 53 of the relay 51 in its upper position, wires 66 and 69, bindin post 44, wire 45,

electromagnet E, .Wire4 binding"post 43, 1

flexible conductor 42', circuit controlling arm 32, contact arm 39, binding p0st'40, and Wires 61 and 62 back-to the otherterminal of the battery 54.

The circuit for supplying current to the 19 motor M is as follows: commencing at one terminal of the battery 54, wires and 65, armature 53 of the relay 51 in its upper position, wires 66 and 69, binding post 44., wire 4. 6, motor M, wire 48, binding post 4:0, and

wires 61 and 62 back to the other terminal of the battery 54.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, when the electromagnet E is energized, it attracts its tLI'lTlflllllI'QQQ against the opposition of the spring 26 and moves the arm 21 and the hook-shaped member 18 to the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3 so that the edge of said memually raised at a rate depending on the speed of' the motor M, the reduction gearing and the pitch of the threads 14. After the lapse of time for which the mechanism is set, the arm 21 is raised to the point where the roller 37 carried thereby strikes the tail portion 36 of the supporting member 34, whereupon the circuit controlling arm 32 is raised out of electrical contact with the contact arm 39, so

as to break the stick circuit for the relay 51 and the circuit for energizing the electromagnet E. As soon as the electromagnet E is deenergized, the spring 26 pulls its armature 22 to the position shown in Fig. 1 so as to move the hook-shaped member 18 out of engagement with the threads 14 on the shaft 13, thereby permitting the arm 21 to immediately assume its normal lower position. As soon as the stick circuit for the relay 51 is broken, the armatures or contact fingers of said relay fall to their lower position, the armature 52 opening another break in the stick circuit, and the armature 53 interrupting the circuit for supplying current to the motor M and also the circuit for the bell A.

In this way the bell A is sounded for a certain length of time after the initial closing of the contact arm 49 on its contact point 50, and after the elapse of this time, the parts are automatically restored to the normal posi tion ready for the next operation.

It should be noted that the circuitfor energizing the electromagnet E includes the circuit controlling arm 32, so that said elec I tromagnet, as well as the stick relay 51, is deenergized by the raising of said circuit controlling arm at the expiration of the time for which the mechanism is set, thereby permitting the arm 21 to immediately move to its lower position so as to be at the initial polnt in its travel in case the relay 51 1s immediately renergized as, for instance, by a second following train.

Obviously various changes may be made in the particular construction shown and de scribed without departing from my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the details of this construction as shown and described. I

What I claim is: 1

1. In a time controlled highway crossing alarm, in combination: a crossing alarm; a normally closed circuit controller for governing said alarm; an electric motor; a

movable member adapted to open said cir cuit controller; reduction gearing operated by said motor; electromagnetic means for connecting said movable member with said reduction gearing; and .circuits for simultaneously supplying current to said motor and to said electromagnetic means, the circuit for said electromagnetic means including said circuit controller.

2. In a time controlled highway crossing alarm, in combination: a crossing alarm; a

normally closed circuit controller for govern ing said alarm; a. screw-threaded shaft; an electric motor; gearing connectin said mo tor and said shaft; a movable mem er adapted to engage said circuit controller and having a sharp edge adapted to engage the threads of said shaft; an electromagnet for moving said member into engagement with the threads of said shaft; and means for simultaneously supplying current to said electromagnet and to said motor.

3. In a time controlled highway crossing alarm, in combination: a crossing alarm; a stick relay for controlling said alarm; a stick circuitfor said relay; a normally closed circuit controller included in said stick circuit; a movable member adapted to open said circuit controller; an electric motor; a reduction gearing operated by said motor; electromagnetic means for connecting said movable member to said reduction gearing; and circuits controlled by said relay for simultaneously supplying current to said electromagnetic means and to said motor.

4. In a timecontrolled highway crossing alarm, in combination: a crossing alarm; a; stick relay for controlling said alarm; a stick circuitfor said relay; electrically operated means for opening said stick circuit after the lapse of a' predetermined time; and

electrical-1y operated means included in said stick circuit and adapted tocontrol the action of said'oircuitopening means.

STANLEY CHARLES BRYANT. 

